WeeklySA_AdminAll to play for: Chiefs and Supersport fight it out for ‘third spot’
By Ali Mphaki
This should be the decider, or well, almost.Both teams at third and fourth spot on the log and fighting to finish on the podium, it makes for an intriguing affair that they meet with only two games to go before the 2022/2023
DStv Premeirship season league winds up. One point separates the two sides, and all indications are that this is going to be an epic battle dripping with nuances of brilliance when they meet in a DStv Premiership clash next Saturday.
If stats mean anything, 70 goals were scored between the sides since the dawn of the PSL, but it is the gold and black brigade with an advantage. Previous scorlines between the two sides also show thin margins, an average 1.18 goals per match. The last time Chiefs scored a higher scoring margin against Supersport was way back in 2015 with a 4-1 win.
Matsatsantsa, as SuperSport are called, will also with some tinge of nostalgia remember thrashing Amakhosi 3-1, during the same year.
But if location is one of the prerequistes for a succesful business venture, then Chiefs should have wished for another venue for this match.
The Lucas Moripe stadium in Atteridgeville, Pretoria, has not been their happy-hunting ground. They have registered fewer wins at this venue against the hosts.
When last they met in September, before the FIFA International break, Chiefs were able to snatch a 2-1 victory at home thanks a brace by Burundian-born striker Caleb Biriminyama, who will be hoping for lightining to strike twice. Chiefs finished at fifth position last season and would like to wrap up the current chapter at least, at number 3.
Matsatsantsa last season was doleful for them, ending the league on seventh position. They are going to give a dogged fight to gain a respectable spot this time around. Its all to play for.
Kick of 15:00hrs.
FIFA – FAIR PRICE FOR MEDIA RIGHTS
UNDERVALUED: Broadcasters’ offers continue not to be fair towards women and women’s football
By Sports Reporter
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has repeated his call to broadcasters to pay a fair price for media rights to the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023™️, emphasising that the revenue will be entirely re-invested in women’s football.
Infantino was speaking alongside the World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala during Making Trade Score for Women!, a series of panel discussions held at the WTO’s headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
Infantino said that FIFA had already set an example by increasing the total funding package at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 to USD 152 million, treble the amount paid in 2019 and ten times more than in 2015, prior to his election as FIFA President. However, he said that FIFA still had to sell media rights for the tournament to some major markets because the offers were undervalued. “The offers from broadcasters, mainly in the ‘Big 5’ European countries, are still very disappointing and simply not acceptable based on four criteria,” he said.
“Firstly, 100% of any rights fees paid would go straight into women’s football, in our move to promote actions towards equal conditions and pay. Secondly, public broadcasters in particular have a duty to promote and invest in women’s sport. Thirdly, the viewing figures of the FIFA Women’s World Cup are 50-60% of the men’s FIFA World Cup (which in turn are the highest of any event), yet the broadcasters’ offers in the ‘Big 5’ European countries for the FIFA Women’s World Cup are 20 to 100 times lower than for the men’s FIFA World Cup. Finally, and concretely, whereas broadcasters pay USD 100-200 million for the men’s FIFA World Cup, they offer only USD 1-10 million for the FIFA Women’s World Cup. This is a slap in the face of all the great FIFA Women’s World Cup players and indeed of all women worldwide.
“To be very clear, it is our moral and legal obligation not to undersell the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Therefore, should the offers continue not to be fair (towards women and women’s football), we will be forced not to broadcast the FIFA Women’s World Cup into the ‘Big 5’ European countries. I call, therefore, on all players (women and men), fans, football officials, Presidents, Prime Ministers, politicians and journalists all over the world to join us and support this call for a fair remuneration of women’s football. Women deserve it! As simple as that!”
The FIFA President’s call was supported by the WTO Director-General. “I hope the broadcasters are listening to what the FIFA President is saying about bidding higher for the Women’s World Cup as this is a real opportunity to support women’s football, and I hope they’ll take you up on your offer,” said Dr Okonjo-Iweala.
The FIFA President also added that time difference to Europe should not be an excuse for the low offers. “It doesn’t make any economic sense because the viewing figures are there. Maybe, because it is in Australia and New Zealand, it’s not played on prime-time in Europe, but still, it is played at 9am or 10am, so it is quite a reasonable time.”
Sports: Briefs
PITSO MARCHES ON
Pitso Mosimane guided Al Ahli Jeddah to promotion to Saudi Arabia’s top-flight after spending one season in the First Division. Following the end of his journey with Egypt’s Al Ahly, Mosimane was appointed Al Ahli Jeddah’s manager last September in their quest to secure promotion back to the saudi pro league at the first time of asking after facing their first-ever relegation at the end of the last season.
Mosimane’s men needed a late winner from Riyad Boudebouz, who converted from the spot in the 97th minute, to secure a 2-1 victory against Hagar which was enough to confirm their Saudi Pro League status next season.
Al Ahli are the fifth most crowned team in the Saudi Pro League history, with three titles, behind Al-Hilal (18 titles), Al-Nasr (9 titles), Al ittihad (8 titles) and Al Shabab (6 titles).
WBO KO’S DRUGS
The upcoming edition of the World Boxing Association’s KO Drugs, to be held this June 9 and 10 in Buenos Aires, will be broadcasted by the Argentinean television network TyC, through its channels TyC Sports and TyC Sports Play, in its “Boxeo de Primera” series. This KO Drugs will have a female super bantamweight world title fight between Venezuela’s Mayerlin Rivas, who will face Argentina’s Nazarena Romero, and the world flyweight eliminator between Carlos Cañizales and Cuba’s Daniel Matellón.
As part of this boxing festival, the “Future WBA Champions” amateur boxing day will also be held, the Olympic boxing support program sponsored by the World Boxing Association. It will serve as a prelude to the KO Drugs, and will be held at the premises of the Argentine Boxing Federation.
In 2023, “Ciclo Boxeo de Primera” celebrates three decades of continuous work in the broadcasting of national and international boxing events on TyC. In these 30 years, its broadcasts have contributed to the spreading of boxing and has made Argentine, Latin American and world boxing figures known to the national and regional fans, and has been a constant ally of WBA events such as the KO Drugs.
AZAM TOPPLES AMLA’S RECORD
Pakistan captain Babar Azam on Friday became the fastest batsman to complete 5,000 ODI runs during the fourth match against New Zealand in Karachi. The 28-year-old beat South African Hashim Amla’s record when he took a single to reach 19 during Pakistan’s innings after they were sent in to bat by New Zealand.
This is Azam’s 97th innings in 99 ODIs, improving on Amla’s feat of reaching the milestone in 101 innings from 104 matches. Last year he narrowly missed equalling Amla’s record for fastest 4,000 ODI runs in 81 innings.
Azam has been the No 1 batsman on the ICC’s rankings for ODIs for the past two years. He is the 14th Pakistani to complete 5,000 or more runs in ODI cricket, with former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq at the top of the list with 11,701 runs.
The unassuming Azam made his ODI debut against Zimbabwe in his hometown of Lahore in May 2015. He is also the only batsman to twice score consecutive hundreds in three ODIs, having achieved the feat in 2016 and 2022. © Agence France-Presse
SA ATHLETES SHINE IN ZAMBIA
The national team continued to show their class on Tuesday, as they lifted their medal tally to a total of 52 podium places after four days of competition at the CAA African U18 and U20 Championships in Ndola, Zambia. With one day left at the continental showpiece, the squad had raked in 26 gold, 17 silver and 9 bronze medals
Among the girls, gold medals have been earned by Colene Scheepers (400m), Tumi Ramokgopa (100m hurdles), Timeke Coetzee (long jump), Cindy Strydom (high jump), Ansume de Beer (pole vault), Alicia Khunou (shot put and discus throw), Anja Holtshauzen (hammer throw) and Anli Engelbrecht (javelin throw).
In the boys division, titles have been claimed by Werner Bezuidenhout (100m), Naeem Jack (110m hurdles), Temoso Masikane (long jump), Luke van der Merwe (high jump), Henco Lamberts (shot put) and Ewald Jansen (javelin throw).
Wiaan Martin, Jessica van Heerden, Rorisang Rammupudu and Precious Molepo also charged to victory in the U20 mixed 4x400m relay final, while the national U20 women’s 4x100m team stormed around the track to bag another gold medal.
